Bring your own toner if you want your car license renewed

Issued by Marshall Von Buchenroder – Shadow MEC of Roads and Transport
13 Apr 2023 in Press Statements

Bring your own toner if you want your car licence renewed. This is just one example of how it is becoming increasingly more difficult for Eastern Cape motorists to find service providers who can assist them in a process they are legally obligated to fulfil every year.

The Democratic Alliance has received several complaints of traffic licensing services at post offices and other service providers across the province being closed, as they do not have ink, the correct licensing paper or the systems have gone offline.

This has also impacted n car dealerships, which are battling to register new vehicles, which is impacting on sales with a knock-on effect on the economy.

News of the Post Office being placed under provisional liquidation raises even more red flags.

Subsequently, the number of vehicles with expired licenses are increasing, and revenue collections are dwindling.

I have written to Transport MEC, Xolile Nqatha, to ask for his urgent intervention, to ensure that service providers are capable and fully resourced to deal with vehicle registrations and renewing license discs.

At a time when the province is facing stringent budget cuts across departments, own revenue generation must be prioritised. The MEC must urgently intervene to prevent further loss of revenue.

While the online renewal of licenses has created another avenue for vehicle owners, the reality is that there are still many vehicle owners who do not have the means to benefit from this service.

It is therefore vital that MEC Nqatha engages with the Minister of Transport, Sindisiwe Chikunga, to take proactive steps and ensure that Eastern Cape service providers are fully equipped to deal with all license queries.

The DA will continue to fight to reduce the barriers to accessing services in this province.